Drill, dash, disappear: Robbers crack German bank vault; vanish with $35 million

Robbers drilled into the vault of a German savings bank and stole cash, gold and jewellery worth an estimated 30 million euros ($35 million), police said on Tuesday.The heist took place in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, where the thieves broke open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes at a Sparkasse branch before escaping, news agency AFP reported.Police said the suspects gained access to the underground vault room by drilling through from an adjacent parking garage and are believed to have spent much of the weekend inside the bank, systematically breaking open the boxes.The burglary was discovered in the early hours of Monday after a fire alarm was triggered, prompting emergency services to investigate and uncover a large hole leading into the vault.Witnesses told police they had seen several men carrying large bags in the stairwell of the parking garage between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Security camera footage later showed a black Audi RS 6 leaving the garage early on Monday, with masked individuals inside. Investigators said the car’s licence plate had been stolen earlier from the city of Hanover.Describing the operation as highly organised, a police spokesman told AFP the break-in was “very professionally executed”, comparing it to the Hollywood heist film Ocean’s Eleven. He said the crime appeared to involve extensive planning and significant criminal expertise.Police estimated losses based on an average insured value of 10,000 euros per safe deposit box but noted that several victims reported losses far exceeding their insurance coverage.Hundreds of distressed customers gathered outside the bank branch on Tuesday seeking information. The branch remained closed for security reasons after threats were made against staff, and police were deployed to keep the crowd at a distance.“We are still on site and monitoring the situation,” the spokesman said, adding that conditions had “calmed down considerably”.